Millennium Magazine_4th Ed

109 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine During his tenure, Mr. Nicholls was appointed to school district committees, including the curriculum development committee and the Illinois goals assessment program committee for school standards. He played a significant role in transforming the school district’s social studies curriculum to focus on United States history, in which core subjects of math, science, reading and English integrated their programs with what was being taught in U.S. history. Involved in extracurricular activities, he sponsored school trips for 22 years, visiting places such as Washington, D.C., and Springfield, Illinois, with his students. Mr. Nicholls guided high school and college students into the Boundary Waters Canoe AreaWilderness of northernMinnesota and Quetico Provincial Park in Canada. Mr. Nicholls excelled as a volleyball, wrestling and track coach for the Palos South Middle School between 1967 and 1990. He also coached volleyball at Victor J. AndrewHigh School and Carl Sandburg High School. Between 1980 and 1996, Mr. Nicholls coached for the Spikettes Volleyball Club. During that time, the Club’s athletes earned several national championships; almost all players received Division One NCAA college scholarships. Mr. Nicholls was a Chicago City Champion in baseball in high school during 1960 and 1961. He played four years of college baseball and semi-professional baseball for the Palos Colonial Athletics, the Will County Athletics and the Aurora Tigers. He was designated as the Palos Athletics Co-Rookie of the Year in 1968. Mr. Nicholls is a member of the National Education Association, the Illinois Education Association and the United States Volleyball Association. He is also affiliated with Phi Theta Kappa and received a Citizenship Award from the American Legion. In retirement, Mr. Nicholls travels extensively with his fiancé, Karen Ann Miller. A retired educator with 35 years’ experience, Mr. Nicholls taught sixth grade for the Chicago Public Schools between 1966 and 1967. He then served as a seventh and eighth grade teacher within the Palos School District #118, where he remained until retirement in 2001. Upon retirement, he served as a guest speaker on U.S. history topics before schools and other local organizations. EDUCATION RICHARD ALLEN NICHOLLS EDUCATOR (RETIRED) Palos School District #118 Brookfield, IL